Counting machine having detachably mounted capsule counting plate



2 Sheets-Sheet l v. FISCHMAN Fig.

1. COUNTING MACHINE HAVING DETACHABLY MOUNTED CAPSULE COUNTING PLATE July 18, 1950 Filed July 29, 1947 Inventor My a Attorneys lrving 1/. F ischman waaizm By July 18, 1950 l v FISCHMAN 2,515,594

COUNTING MACHINE HAVING DETACHABLY MOUNTED CAPSULE COUNTING PLATE Filed July 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Irving 1 Fischman V 4 By Patented July 18, 1950 COUNTING MACHINE HAVING DETACHABLY MOUNTED CAPSULE COUNTING PLATE Irving V. Fischman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application July 29, 1947, Serial No. 764,433

4 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a counting machine for counting and packaging pills, capsules and the like, and has for its object to select from a large group of pills, capsules or the like, a predetermined number of the articles, and to move the selected articles away from the large group and discharge them into a waiting receptacle or the like.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a receptacle having an inclined bottom with a discharge opening therethrough adjacent its high side, a table mounted to rotate adjacent the bottom of the receptacle about an inclined axis which lies perpendicular to the bottom of the receptacle, said table having spaced groups of openings therein and means to rotate the table to bring successive groups of openings into registry with the discharge opening in the bottom of the receptacle.

Another feature includes means detachably to couple the table with the rotating means so that a table having groups of selector openings of different numbers and sizes ma be mounted in the receptacle to handle groups of articles of larger or smaller numbers, or sizes.

A still further object is to preserve the sanitary condition of the articles being counted by avoiding contact with the human hands and moreover to extract from th articles any bits of dust that may have collected thereon.

Still further features embody means to cause elongated articles, such as capsules or pills of cylindrical shape to enter the selector openings in the table for advance toward the discharge opening.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a pill counting machine embodying the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through a table equipped with selector openings for pills of spherical form, and;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing a selector table equipped with selector openings 2 designed for the handling of capsules, or pills of elongated, elliptical or cylindrical form.

Referring to the drawings in detail a stand designated generally l comprises a bottom wall II from the front of which rises a perpendicular wall l2 and from the rear of which rises a perpendicular wall I3. Side walls It rise perpendicularly from the bottom wall II and join the front and back walls l2 and i3 as will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings. Inclining upwardly and inwardly of the upper edge of the rear wall I3 is a panel l and extending between the bottom II and wall it is an upwardly inclined bed plate It which lies in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the inclined panel l5. Fixed to the panel l5 and projecting inwardly toward the front of the machine is a bracket i! to the inner face of which is attached in any suitable manner as by welding a supporting plate l8.

Extending transversely of the stand I 0 and attached to the side walls M in any suitable manner is an inclined supporting bar I 9 which lies in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the inclined panel l5, and parallel to the bed plate Hi, and carried midway between opposite ends of the supporting bar i9 is a gear housing through the rear wall of which projects a driven shaft 2|, and from the top wall of which projects a drive shaft 22. The driven shaft 2| is journaled in the plate l8 near its upper end and carries a pulley which has driving connection through the medium of a suitable endless belt 23 with a pulley 24 mounted to rotate about a stub shaft 25 carried adjacent the lower end of the plate 18. Connected to and rotatable with the pulley 24 is a drive pulley 26 which is coupled through the medium of an endless belt 21 to the drive pulley 28 of a suitable drive motor 29 which is mounted on the bed plate [6 as will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings. Extending transversely of the stand i0 adjacent its upper end is a supporting bar 30 carrying a journal bearing 3| midway between the opposite end through which the shaft 22 is journaled and fixed to the shaft adjacent its upper end is a driving disk 32 from the upper surface of which project a pair of drive pins 33 the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter explained. The extreme upper end of the shaft 22 is externally screw threaded, and is adapted to be received in an internally screw threaded bore in a wing nut 34. As illustrated in Figure 1 the axis of the shaft 22 is inclined to the vertical and lies perpendicular to the bed plate I6. and when the motor 29 is energized, the shaft 22 will be driven through the belt and pulley transmission above described and the gears contained within the housing 20.

Fixed to the upper end of the pedestal I is the bottom 35 of a receptacle designated generally 36. This bottom is provided with an axial opening 31 to accommodate the drive disk 32 and is formed in its high side with a discharge opening 38. A screened exhaust opening 39 is formed in the bottom 35 adjacent its low side, and fixed to the underside of the bottom adjacent its low side is a conduit 40 having an opening M which registers with the opening 39. This conduit 40 inclines downwardly and is provided at its lower end with a nipple 42 which projects through the front wall l2 of the stand Ill adjacent its upper end. A suitable coupling nipple 43 enters the nipple 42 and has attached thereto as by a conventional hose clamp 44 a flexible tube 45 which is coupled to a suitable exhaust pump (not shown) by means of which a sub-atmospheric pressure is created within the conduit 40.

Fixed to the bottom 35 of the receptacle 36 adjacent its periphery is an upstanding flange 46 into which is fitted the lower end of the cylindrical wall 41 which forms in conjunction with the bottom 35 the receptacle 36. The upper edge of the wall 41 is cut at an angle as at 48 to form a receptacle which is deeper at its low side than at its high side, and fitted on the upper edge 48 of the wall 41 is a transparent cover' 49 which closes the upper end of the receptacle 36.

Secured to the underside of the bottom 35, and registering with the opening 38 is the upper end of a discharge spout 50 which as illustrated in the drawings tapers toward its discharge end which is equipped with external screw threads upon which a suitable discharge nozzle 52 is supported. The nozzle 52 is detachably coupled with the discharge end of the spout 50, so that nozzles having different sized discharge openings may be employed in order to guide articles being dispensed into the dispensing receptacle R.

Formed at spaced intervals adjacent the periphery of the bottom 35 are openings 53 in which supporting rollers 54 are mounted to rotate, and mounted on the rollers 54 for rotation adjacent the bottom of the receptacle 36 is a counting table designated generally 55. This table is provided with an axial opening 56 for the reception of the upper end of the shaft 22, and with radially spaced openings 51 for the reception of the drive pins 33. The table rests on the drive disk 32 and is held in place thereon by the wing nut 34. It will thus be seen that the table may be removed and other tables substituted therefor according to the counting operation to be performed. Each table 55 is equipped adjacent its periphery with spaced groups of openings 51 which extend through the table and are provided at their upper ends with flared portions 58 which serve to assist in properly positioning elongated objects such as capsules C (6, 1) into the selector openings. It will be understood that each group of openings in each table will be of like number so that the same number of articles will be discharged through the discharge openings each time a group of openings 51 is brought intoregistry therewith. For instance if the machine is to count out 25 capsules to be dispensed, the number of selector openings 51 in each group of openings will be 25. Likewise should it be desired to count out only ten of the articles, each group of selector openings in the table 55 will contain only ten openings. It will thus be seen that by selecting the tables 55 accordin to the number of selector openings 51 in each group in the table, the machine may be made to discharge as many or as few pills or like articles through the discharge spout as may be desired.

When the objects to be counted are of spherical form, the table 55' which conforms in all respects to the table 55 is substituted and the selector openings 51 are formed with straight sides ,throughout their length. Also the table 55 is preferably of a depth less than the table 55 as the spherical objects such as pills D do not require the depth of tables required for elongated objects such as capsules C. Moreover were a table such as the table 55 employed to count spherical objects it is evident that due to the length of the selector openings 51 therein more than one object would lodge in each selector opening.

In use it will be understood that the objects to be counted are deposited in the receptacle 36, after the proper table 55 or 55' has been selected and fixed to the drive disk 32 by means of the wing nut 34. Upon energizing the drive motor 29 it will be evident that the shaft 22 will be rotated about the inclined axis and will through the medium of the disk 32 and drive pins 33 cause the table 55 to rotate adjacent the bottom 35 of the receptacle 36. By reason of the inclined position of table and bottom it will be evident that the pills or other objects to be counted will roll toward the low side thereof to be deposited in the selector openings 51 and carried upwardly by the rotation of the table 55 to the discharge opening 38 where the objects fall through the selector openings 51 and discharge opening 38 into the spout 50 to be directed into the receptacle R through the discharge nozzle 52. The vacuum pump or exhaust pump as the case may be is also set into operation so as to create a subatmospheric pressure within the conduit 40 to cause dust or minor particles of foreign matter adhering to the objects to be counted to be drawn through the screen of the opening 39. The subatmospheric pressure also materially aids in causing elongated objects such as the capsules C to be deposited in the selector openings 51 by reason of the pressure of the atmosphere on top of the objects contained within the receptacle 36 so as to cause those encountering the selector openings 51 to be tilted and advanced into the openings through the flared mouths 58 thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that objects such as pills, capsules and the like may be easily and quickly counted and discharged in groups containing definite numbers of the objects into dispensing receptacles R through the discharge spout 50.

While in the foregoin there has been shown and described the preferred, embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a counting machine for counting pills, capsules and the like a receptacle having an inclined bottom which lies concentric about an inclined axis, said bottom having an axial opening therethrough and a discharge opening extending therethrough adjacent its high side, a drive disk disk about the inclined axis adjacent the inclined bottom of the receptacle said table having spaced groups of openings extending therethrough near the periphery thereof, said groups of openings being movable successively into register with the discharge opening in the bottom as the table rotates with the drive disk and means detachably to hold the table in place on the drive disk.

2. In a counting machine for counting pills, capsules and the like a receptacle having an inclined bottom which lies concentric about an inclined axis, said bottom having an axial opening therethrough and a discharge opening extending therethrough adjacent its high side, a drive disk mounted in the axial opening to rotate about the inclined axis, means below the receptacle and connected to the drive disk to rotate the drive disk, a table removably mounted on the drive disk within the receptacle to rotate with the drive disk about the inclined axis adjacent the inclined bottom of the receptacle, said table having spaced groups of openings extending therethrough near the periphery thereof, said groups of openings being movable successively to register with the discharge opening in the bottom as the table rotates with the drive disk and means detachably to hold the table in place on the drive disk, said table having radially spaced sockets opening through its bottom within the area defined by the drive disk and drive pins carried by the drive disk and extending upwardly therefrom for entrance into the sockets to establish positive driving connection between the drive disk and the table.

3. In a counting machine for counting pills, capsules and the like a receptacle having an inclined bottom which lies concentric about an inclined axis, said bottom having an axial opening therethrough and a discharge opening extending therethrough adjacent its high side, a drive disk mounted in the axial opening to rotate about the inclined axis, means below the receptacle and connected to the drive disk to rotate the drive disk, a table removably mounted on the drive disk within the receptacle to rotate with the drive disk about the inclined axis adjacent the inclined bottom of the receptacle, said table having spaced groups of openings extending therethrough near the periphery thereof, said groups of openings being movable successively into registration with the discharge opening in the bottom as the table rotates with the drive disk, means detachably to hold the table in place on the drive disk, the bottom of the receptacle having a screened opening extending therethrough adjacent' its low side and means beneath the bottom to establish a flow of air downwardly through said screened opening.

4. In a counting machine for counting pills, capsules and the like a receptacle having an inclined bottom which lies concentric about an inclined axis, said bottom having an axial opening therethrough and a discharge opening extending therethrough adjacent its high side, a drive disk mounted in the axial opening to rotate about the inclined axis, means below the receptacle and connected to the drive disk to rotate the drive disk, a table removably mounted on the drive disk within the receptacle to rotate with the drive disk about the inclined axis adjacent the inclined bottom of the receptacle, said table having spaced groups-of openings extending therethrough near the periphery thereof, said groups of openings being movable successively into registration with the discharge opening in the bottom as the table rotates with the drive disk, means detachably to hold the table in place on the drive disk, said table having spaced sockets opening through its bottom within the area defined by the drive disk, drive pins carried by the drive disk and extending upwardly therefrom for entrance into the sockets to establish positive driving connection between the drive disk and the table, the bottom of the receptacle having a screened opening extending therethrough adjacent its low side and means beneath the bottom to establish a flow of air downwardly through said screened opening.

IRVING V. FISCHMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

